avanchieri

My 2015 GS450h calls for 0W-20 oil, with 10,000 mile intervals between changes. I do not have any experience with synthetic lols (I'm an old school 10W-40 oil and 3,000 mile changes guy myself).

Two questions for the group:

1) what is your experience with reliability of 0W-20 "oil"
2) Can non-synthetic oil be used in its place

Thanks all!

Sevn86

I'm not too sure but I think once you use synthetic you can't switch back to regular oil. Also Lexus calls for oil changes every 10k miles but I get mine changed at 7,500-8,000 miles.

2jS160

iTrader: (6)

1) Ow-20 oil is used on many newer cars that are engineered to run on the lighter weight. Many new motors are designed to have less friction from moving parts thus increasing efficiency and yielding higher gas mileage. They are mainly used on hybrid power-trains such as Prius. I'd stick with what is recommended.

2) Yes but what's the point? Beside I don't ever recall them selling a lower weight conventional oil. You will have also to change at 5,000 mile/6 months intervals which is double the labor, time and parts on every oil change performed. Sticking with synthetic will save you time and money especially over the long run. Would you risk voiding you warranty over a few cents? A penny wise a dollar short!

abyss

10-40 is too heavy and will likely cause problems. Stick to recommended 0w-20. These engines will last 250k + with it. If price is an issue, it's not a terrible DIY job. You can get it in Royal Purple or Mobile One at any autoparts shop. Take care of your car, it wasn't cheap!

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

1) no experience because 0-20 is designed to benefit the environment not engines, I bought a new 2007 IS350 in april 2007. Oil cap labeled for 0W-30. Dealership said they use conventional Castrol.
I use 0w-30 Castrol Syntec every 5k miles. Later that year Lexus said to use 0w-30. Engine had not changed since it was designed, why change oil weight? It is thinner allowing small increase in fuel economy. Better for enviroment. Bought a 2015 GS350, has 0w-20 on oil cap, same engine as 2007 as far as I know, same oil filter, I use the same oil in this one every 5k miles which is about twice a year.

2) You can use non-synthetic oil but I wouldn't, go 10,k miles & get a oil sample analyisis.

Afrosheen

Echoing other's sentiments here. Stick with synthetic (never change back to organic) and the recommended 0w-20. These engines are designed for low viscosity oil.

As far as your familiarity with 10w30 goes, treat this the same minus the change intervals. If 10k between changes is good enough for Lexus, follow their schedule. However, they also recommend 5k checkups, so every 5k just check the level and color of the oil to spot potential issues. Get accustomed to seeing how the 10k oil looks though, it may color a little over time.

mrpartsman

They dont make regular 0W-20 oil, they are all synthetic base oil , and the reason u cant go thicker oil because the oil travels thru the VVTI solenoid and there is filter screen inside the thicker oil u use its harder to go thru that screen, and it will make knocking noise which will cause the solenoid to go out, so stick to Mobil 1 ,Royal purple, Castrol Syntec or Enos 0W-20 and less headaches to deal with it at the dealer, and I will do it at 5K and that engine will stay clean, I never did 10K except for the first one when the dealer did the complimentary one.

703

I would never use 20 oil. It is too thin to protect the engine. It's only there for emission points.

Lexus doesn't care that your engine wears out in 10 years once it's out of warranty

Davenlei

iTrader: (1)

I think Lexus does care since having many engines break after 10 years will alter public perception of the quality and reliability of the cars. If anything, Lexus would be more concerned than companies like BMW since Lexus built their reputation on reliability.

Afrosheen

Op, don't listen to this guy. Most manufacturers are going to pure synthetic now. If you deviate from the owner's manual or stickers under the hood, prepare to have your warranty voided.

703

Why do you think there is a class action now against Toyota on excessive oil consumption for their 2007+ 2.4l engines used on Camrys and loads of other vehicles? They specified 20 viscosity oil and made changes to score economy points. The same engine prior to 2007 didn't consume a drop of oil where it specified 30 weight oil.

Davenlei

iTrader: (1)

I don't know offhand since I didn't follow that issue and don't have the details. I could easily guess that some engineer that signed off on using the lower weight oil screwed up his calculations or that some bean counter did not approve using a different gasket to accommodate the lower weight oil in the engine due to cost. I have no idea. Companies don't always get it 100% right.

It is just my opinion that Lexus would rather protect their reputation than to lead a large percentage of their customers down the path to engine rebuilds based on saving a fraction of a mile in mileage requirements by using an unsafe oil weight.

Do I think that a lower weight oil provides 'less' protection then a higher weight oil? Sure, but there are tolerances most oils will fall into for protecting the engine adequately for a long time. The point I was trying to make is that I don't think Lexus would put their reputation on the line knowing their recommendation will likely lead to engine damage in ten years.

I recall back in the day I would adjust the weight of oil I would use in my cars based on the season. Thinner in the winter and thicker in the summer so that I can provide as much protection to the engine as possible while making sure I am not starving the engine of oil for a long period of time after cold start up where a lot of wear can come into play. But again that was back in the day before parts were as precision engineered as they are today.

1fuzzybk

Also remember, this is a Hybrid. The engine makes less heat and it produces less power then the 350. It also spins slower with e-CVT trans. And, a lot of the time it's not spinning at all.

I think we can all agree the oil has an easier job in the 450h. When I get to do my first oil change I'm going with 0w-20

703

Yes very good points!

Reposting - Good read on Oil: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles

703

Abrasive particles equal to or larger than the oil film thickness will cause wear. So I think for the older cars with less precise manufacturing tolerances , you do need that thicker oil!